December 2

President Eisenhower condemned the imprisonment of US soldiers 1954: US pledges to defend Nationalist China England have US President Dwight D Eisenhower has announced the signing of a pact of mutual security with the Nationalist Chinese Government. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles concluded the agreement with Chinese foreign minister George Yeh for the defence of the islands of Formosa (Taiwan) and Pescadores. At a news conference, Mr Dulles made it clear that any attack on the two islands from the mainland would result in a "state of war" with the Chinese Communists. He was asked whether the US would retaliate if Formosa was attacked. Mr Dulles replied: "That would be a probable result. There must be a certain liberty for mobile forces to retaliate at places of their own choosing, though, this would not necessarily mean general war and the use of atomic bombs." Negotiations for the defence pact between the US and head of the Nationalist Chinese Government, Chiang Kai-Shek, have been in progress for many months but there was no indication that the agreement would be completed so quickly. The secretary of state's formal announcement declared that the pact would follow the pattern of other security treaties concluded by the US in the Pacific area. This pact, the statement added, would forge another link in the system of collective security, and provide the essential framework for the defence of the Western Pacific against communist aggression. The agreement comes as 11 American soldiers and two civilians remain imprisoned in China. The Americans were captured and detained for alleged espionage last month after their planes were shot down over a recognised combat zone of Korea. President Eisenhower condemned their imprisonment as "completely indefensible" and warned that Chinese ports would be blockaded if they were not released.

About 85% of homes have been flattened 1988: Bangladesh cyclone 'worst for 20 years' Artificially 1969: The Thousands of people may have died from the most devastating cyclone to strike Bangladesh in almost 20 years, the UN reports. The United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs has confirmed 700 people are known to have died. The cyclone struck two days ago with winds reaching more than 150 kms per hour, and the death toll is expected to rise to thousands. The UNOCHA said the fate of several thousand fishermen in canals and inlets of small islands south of Bangladesh are not known. One hundred bodies have been found near Dublarchar Island, 90 km off the coast. Relief workers have described scenes of "complete devastation". An estimated 85% of village houses, usually made from bush materials, have been flattened. Thousands of people have been displaced and many are taking refuge in stone buildings such as schools and mosques. Many have been injured from falling walls or live electric wires. Relief workers now fear disease could ravage the country as running water has become polluted and many are suffering with gastric illnesses. The tidal waves have swamped most of the tube wells. John Key, field director of World Vision, told the BBC the rice fields, which are a lifeline to people in the area and were due to be harvested, have been completely wiped out. He said people are distressed because they do not know the fate of loved ones. But he also said hunger is now a growing problem. "My top priority is to get my World Vision relief teams on the spot with supplies of food for the families concerned. That is going on right now - at least we can sustain life," he said.

Vocabulary:

retaliate : to take revenge for a perceived wrong（報復）